Punctual as
never before from Orio al Serio (Bg) at 21.25 my plane n. FR4845 of the Ryanair
Company in the direction of Terminal 1 of Dublin International Airport
(Ireland), located in Collinstown, 13 km north of the capital (return ticket price
including taxes: 76.48 Euros).
Arrival on
time at 11.05 pm, at Dublin International Airport
(Ireland),
located in Collinstown, 13 km
north of the capital. There is a time zone time compared to Italy.
To be able
to set foot in Ireland
it is sufficient to have a valid identity card or passport. Once you arrive at
the border of the aforementioned airport, just put your passport on the
scanner, wait for a photograph to be taken and if everything is ok, the
automatic doors that allow you to enter the United Kingdom will open. If you
have an identity card, you must instead go to the desk for identification.
If you
intend to visit Ireland and Northern Ireland
without using a car, you must take the bus or train bearing in mind that many
remote areas cannot be reached and that the service on Sundays is very limited
and in certain areas even suspended. Also keep in mind that the train is much
faster but also much more expensive and in a country where the cost of living
is high is not a factor to be underestimated. One last thing to keep in mind is
that the buses and trains of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
are very efficient and punctual.
Keep in
mind that it is allowed to spend the night at Dublin Airport
even if the chairs with armrests are uncomfortable for lying down.
Just
outside the Arrivals Hall of Terminal 1 of Dublin International Airport
(Ireland), located in Collinstown, 13km north of the capital, if you want to
reach Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), please note
that it is necessary to use the Aicoach Bus Company (Bus n. 705). There are
departures on average every hour, even at night. The journey takes 1 hour 50 '.
The ticket costs 12 Euros and can be purchased on the Company's website or at
the Desk, also open at night, which is located in front of the stop just
outside Terminal 1 of the Airport.
In Belfast, the aforementioned bus ends its journey in Glengall Street, in
front of the Europa Bus Center,
the largest bus station in the capital of Northern Ireland.
Belfast is great for cycling and you can
use the bicycles provided by Belfast Bikes for this purpose. To do this, you
need to register in advance on the website www.belfastbikes.co.uk, for three
days at a cost of £ 5 for 3 days or £ 20 for a year, paying by credit card. Once
the registration has been completed, a pin is assigned which must be entered
together with the personal telephone number when picking up the bicycle and to
allow it to be unlocked. The rental costs are as follows: the first half hour
free, up to one hour £ 0.5, up to two hours £ 1.5, up to three hours £ 2.5, up
to four hours £ 3.5 . Every half hour over 4 hours and up to a maximum of 24
hours you pay £ 2. If you do not return the bike within 72 hours it will be
considered lost and the sum of £ 120 will be charged to your credit card. Same
thing happens for damage to the bike.
To reach
Ballycastle, located on the north - east coast of Northern
Ireland, from Belfast the
fastest solution is to take Bus no. 218 or no. 219 to Ballymena from Europa Bus
Center. Duration of the
ride: 40 minutes. Departures approximately every hour from Monday to Saturday. Almost
absent service on Sunday. Once you arrive at the Ballymena Bus Station you need
to take Bus n. 217 or 131 for Ballycastle. Duration of the ride: 50 minutes.
Departures from Monday to Friday at 7.30, 9.00, 9.30, 10.25, 11.30, 12.25,
13.30, 14.25. 15.45 and 17.45, on Saturdays at 8.50, 11.50, 14.50, 15.45, 16.00
and 17.45. Service absent on Sunday.
The single
ticket can be purchased at the Europa Bus Center
in Belfast and
is valid for the 2 aforementioned buses. The cost is £ 10.30.
Bus n. 217
and n. 131, coming from Ballymena, ends its run near Diamont, the main square of Ballycastle,
where the Holy Trinity Church
stands.
Please note
that the Ballycastle tourist office is located near the Port. It is also open
in winter. The closing for the lunch break is from 13.00 to 14.00.
If from
Ballycastle, you are interested in going to visit the spectacular “Carrick a Rede Rope
Bridge”, you need to take
bus n. 172 or no. 402 from the stops located on Market Street or Marine Corner, in front
of the Hotel Marine near the Port. Cost of the ticket that can be purchased
from the driver: 2.10 £. Duration of the ride: 13 minutes. 13 races from Monday
to Friday, 11 races on Saturday and 9 races on Sunday.
Once you
get off the 172 bus you need to walk downhill for a good 500 meters to reach the
Larrybane car park and the Ticket Office where you need to pay 7 £ to access
the "Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge". Keep in mind that in winter, the
bridge opens at 9.30 am, while the last ticket is sold at 2.45 pm and that
sometimes when it is too windy the bridge is closed. However, even in these
last 2 cases the comfortable panoramic path almost 1 km long that leads to the
bridge remains open and it is therefore possible to see it but access it as the
gate is closed.
From the
Larrybane car park, a scenic 16.5
km itinerary starts through the Causeway Coast Way, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, ending at the Giant's Causeway.
You can admire enchanting landscapes. Some sections follow a narrow and muddy
path on the top of the cliffs with no protective barrier and therefore can be
dangerous in case of rain or strong wind. In addition, high tides sometimes
block access to both ends of White
Park Bay.
If you are not so informed, it is possible to take even a short stretch of the Causeway Coast Way,
for example from the Larrybane parking lot, up to the Ballintoy Cemetery
Church, where you can
take the paved road that in about 1
km reaches the center. of Ballintoy, where the bus stop
is located. (total distance: 2
km abundant).
From the
Ballintoy bus stop, located near the View Ostell, buses no. 172 or no. 402.
coming from Ballycastle to Coleraine Bus Station and vice versa. Cost of the
ticket that can be purchased from the driver: £ 4.40. Duration of the ride: 43
minutes. 13 rides Monday to Friday, 11 rides on Saturday and 9 rides on Sunday.
Please note that these buses also stop at Giants Causeway.
Please note
that the Bus Station and the Train Station in Coleraine are adjacent.
From the
Coleraine Bus Station, bus no. 234 to Derry Bus Station, located on Foyle Street, a few
steps east of the city wall. Cost of the ticket that can be purchased from the
driver: 8 £. Duration of the ride: 1 hour. 8 runs a day from Monday to Friday.
2 Rides on Saturday. No races on Sunday.
Derry, the
second largest city in Northern
Ireland can be easily explored on foot.
For
backpackers like me, it is not so easy to find cheap accommodation to sleep
especially in winter. Between Hostels marked on the Tourist Guide but
nonexistent in reality, between Bad and Breakfast that do not answer the bell,
at the end after 2 hours of research I had to settle for sleeping at the Travel
Lodge Hotel, located in the center at the intersection of Strand Road and Great
James Street, for the discounted price of £ 50. Breakfast not included. Free
Wifi.
From Derry
Bus Station, bus no. 64, of the Eireann Bus Company direct to Galway Eireann
Bus Station, located in the center, near Eyre Square. Cost of the ticket that can
be purchased from the driver: Euro 24. Pounds sterling is not accepted. Duration
of the ride: 5 h 25 '. Departures every day from Monday to Sunday at 7.15am,
9.15am, 11.10am, 1.15pm and 3.30pm. A ride is also guaranteed at 6.30pm only on
Friday. This bus makes numerous intermediate stops.
Galway, in
the east of Ireland,
can be easily explored on foot.
From Galway's Eireann Bus Station, buses no. 51 and X51, of
the Eireann Company bound for Limerick Bus Station, located adjacent to the
Train Station, on Parnell Street,
on the southeastern edge of downtown. Cost of the ticket that can be purchased
from the driver: 16 Euros. Duration of the journey: 1 h 40 '. Departures every
day from Monday to Sunday every hour from 5.00 to 20.00.
Limerick,
in the east of Ireland,
can be easily explored on foot.
From
Limerick Bus Station, buses no. 51 and X51, of the Espressway Company direct to
Cork Bus Station, located in the city center near the intersection of Parnell Pl and
Merchant's Quay. Cost of the ticket that can be purchased from the driver: Euro
16.00. Duration of the ride: 1 h 50 '. Departures every day from Monday to
Sunday every hour from 5.00 to 20.00.
Cork, Ireland's second largest city, can be
explored on foot very well.
In Cork, in the area located just north of the River Lee
North Channel, there are
budget accommodation such as Hostels and Bad and Breakfast. One of these is
Sheila's Hostel, located at number 4 of Belgrave Pl, near Wellington Road. The cost per night for a
bed in a dormitory costs from 18 Euros to 21 Euros. Breakfast costs 3 Euros.
Free Wifi.
To reach
Cahir, keep in mind that from Cork Bus Station, bus no. X8, of the Espressway
Company directed to Dublin Airport, which also stops in front of the parking lot
located between the Tourist Office and Cahir Castle.
Cost of the ticket that must be purchased at the automatic machines located
inside the Cork Bus Station: Euro 16.50. Duration of the ride: 1 h 20 '.
Departures every day from Monday to Sunday at 8.00, 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00
and 18.00.
The Cahir Castle,
located a few tens of meters from the bus stop, is open every day from 9.00 to
18.30 from mid-June to the end of August, from 9.30 to 17.30 from mid-March to
mid-June and from September to mid-August October, from 9.30 to 16.30 from Mid
October to the end of March. The ticket price is Euro 5.00.
To reach
Cashel from Cahir, keep in mind that bus no. X8, of the Espressway Company,
coming from Cork and bound for Dublin Airport,
also stops in Cashel in front of the Bake House on Main Street. Tickets can generally be
purchased from the driver, although sometimes this is not possible and it is
necessary to obtain a ticket before boarding by purchasing it in the
tobacconist's adjacent to the Bus Stop. Duration of the ride: 20 '. Departures
every day from Monday to Sunday at 9.20, 11.20, 13.20, 15.20, 17.20 and at
19.20.
The Rock of
Cashel, located on a hill just 1
km from the bus stop, is open every day from 9.00 to
19.00 from mid-June to the end of August, from 9.00 to 17.30 from mid-March to
mid-June and from September to Mid October, from 9.30 to 16.30 from Mid October
to the end of March. The ticket price is Euro 8.00.
To reach Dublin Airport
from Cashel, take bus no. X8, of the Espressway Company, from Cork. The ticket costs Euro 19.50 and can
generally be purchased from the driver, although sometimes this is not possible
and it is necessary to obtain a ticket before getting on by buying it at the
tobacconist's adjacent to the Bus Stop. Duration of the ride: 2h30 '.
Departures every day from Monday to Sunday at 9.40am, 11.40am, 1.40pm, 3.40pm,
5.40pm and 7.40pm.
Punctual as
never before from Terminal 1 of Dublin International Airport (Ireland),
located in Collinstown, 13 km
north of the capital at 6.25 am, my plane no. FR9428 of the Ryanair Company in
the direction of Orio al Serio
International Airport
(Bg), (return ticket price including taxes: Euro 74.44).
Punctual
arrival at 9.55 am, at Orio al Serio
International Airport
(Bg).
My complete travel report
with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:
http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2018/04/viaggio-in-irlanda-del-nord-e-irlanda.html
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